Soccer: Birmingham to open talks on new ‘Wembley’

Birmingham City Council is to open talks with the Football Association and the British Government about an alternative venue for the new national stadium to replace Wembley, it emerged today.

Birmingham City Council is to open talks with the Football Association and the British Government about an alternative venue for the new national stadium to replace Wembley, it emerged today.

The move comes as the Wembley project was thrown into doubt after the Government yesterday said it would not bank roll the shortfall in funding for the multi-million pound scheme.

The Government said it was still committed to the idea of a national stadium and would work with sports authorities to seek a way forward.

However, if the Wembley project failed, council leaders in Birmingham said the city would be in a position to consider an alternative bid.

The local authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Andy Howells, said: ‘‘Birmingham and our neighbouring authorities have an excellent track record of delivering major development projects on time and within budget.

‘‘The Midlands has the advantage of being easily accessible with good transport infrastructure already in place.

‘‘Indeed Birmingham is the perfect site for such a stadium on both planning and business grounds.

‘‘We will be talking with the Government and the Football Association and if there is an opportunity to put Birmingham forward as an alternative site for the National Stadium, we would certainly be interested in putting together a new bid.’’

more courts articles

Man admits killing Irish pensioner (87) on mobility scooter in London Man admits killing Irish pensioner (87) on mobility scooter in London
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court to face sex charges Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court to face sex charges
Case against Jeffrey Donaldson to be heard in court Case against Jeffrey Donaldson to be heard in court

More in this section

Albania v Republic of Ireland - UEFA Women's Nations League Sinéad Farrelly quits Ireland but no reason given for 'difficult decision'
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ‘More mature’: Spurs admit Arsenal’s mentality made the difference in derby
Republic of Ireland Training Session and Media Conference Ogbene could return to feature in Luton's survival bid
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited